February 15, 1797

(or, less likely, February 22, or 25, by various accounts) – Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg is born in the village of Wolfshagen, in the Harz Mountains, Germany. He is, according to different accounts, either the fourth of eight children, or the last of twelve, and his father is either a “kohlermeister” (charcoalmaker), or a forester (possibly both, in different periods of time, in addition to being a soldier).